Hundreds of Rural Letter Carriers to Rally in Orlando to Protect the Postal Service from Privatization

Florida Reps. Soto and Frost to Join National Union Presidents in Fight to Protect Postal Workers and the USPS

ORLANDO, FL, UNITED STATES, August 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On Monday, more than 500 rural letter carriers, other postal workers and their allies, will gather in Orlando to rally against misguided efforts to privatize the United States Postal Service. The rally, which takes place during the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA) National Convention, will feature Florida Representatives Darren Soto and Maxwell Frost, along with national postal union leaders, demanding Congress safeguard the public Postal Service and the union jobs that keep it running.

The rally comes just weeks after a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House signed on to House Resolution 70, affirming that the Postal Service must remain a public institution. The NRLCA is now urging the rest of the Florida delegation to join Reps. Frost and Soto in cosponsoring H. Res. 70. The unions are also urging members of Congress to support the Protect Our Letter Carriers (POLC) Act, which would protect mail carriers from the growing wave of violence and theft.

WHAT: NRLCA Rally to Protect the Postal Service
WHEN: Monday, August 18 · 6:30 PM
WHERE: City Commons Plaza, Orlando, FL
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Don Maston, NRLCA National President; Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL-10); Rep. Darren Soto (FL-9); Mark Dimondstein, APWU National President; Bill Braddick, Florida Rural Letter Carriers’ Association President; Nick Mosezar, NPMHU Local 318 President; Al Friedman, NALC Florida President; Byron Shelton, NALC Branch 1091 President

The rally is expected to be the largest public demonstration by rural letter carriers this year, as the NRLCA mobilizes against proposals that would privatize delivery routes and disproportionately hurt rural areas. A memo from Wells Fargo outlines a plan to sell off the most profitable parts of the Postal Service, raise prices by up to 140%, and eliminate union jobs and benefits. Meanwhile, the current administration has signaled it may move the Postal Service under the Department of Commerce—a widely recognized first step toward privatization. These aren’t distant proposals—they’re active threats. And rural letter carriers are sounding the alarm.

Rural residents in Florida are particularly vulnerable to the impact of privatization. Nearly two million Floridians—about 9% of the state’s population—live in rural areas, where the Postal Service is often a lifeline. During natural disasters, rural letter carriers have played a critical role in reaching isolated areas and providing emergency access. In many of Florida’s rural and inland communities, USPS is the only delivery option available, as private carriers often refuse to serve areas they deem unprofitable.

With rising threats to the public agency’s independence, the rally sends a strong bipartisan message: Florida must stand with the Postal Service and the workers who keep it running.

For more information or to arrange interviews with NRLCA President Don Maston, Florida rural carriers, and other speakers, please contact: Melissa Ray, communications@nrlca.org; 571-480-2641.

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The NRLCA, established in 1903, represents 130,000 rural letter carriers who serve over 51 million residential mailboxes. Rural carriers serve as a “Post Office on Wheels”, providing critical mail services to communities across the U.S. and ensuring that even the most remote areas stay connected to the rest of the nation.

Melissa Ray
National Rural Letter Carriers' Association
+1 571-480-2641
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